Paul Rose

Central Subway: Federal Overseer Laments "Serious Deficiency" in Time, Money Contingencies

Federal officials "concerned that it has taken the Central Subway Project so long to address this serious deficiency." If time is, indeed, money, the Central Subway project is in double trouble. A recent report by an overseer monitoring the $1.6 billion federally funded project laments that the cont ... More >>

Switched Off: Muni's Switchback Solution Conceals Other Problems

"Islamophobic" Muni Ads Are Back on Buses

Last year Muni came under fire, not only for being perpetually broke and late, but also for trying to plug some of its budget woes with pro-Israeli advertisements that suggested Palestinians were savages. At the time, Muni, which has a policy against running political ads on its buses, defended it ... More >>

Central Subway: Muni's Drilling Plan Strains Credulity

Waste Management: Why Muni Won't Ban Serial Bus-Soilers

Eileen Barrett Identified as Elderly Woman Killed by Muni

Medical authorities this morning identified the woman who was struck and killed by a Muni bus over the weekend as 72-year-old Eileen Barrett, a Daly City resident. According to Muni officials, Barrett was walking near Lake Merced at about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday when she was hit by a 18-46th Avenue b ... More >>

Corporate Shuttle Crowds Out Muni Bus

A bus rolling up to a bus stop is an event as mundane as pulling a rabbit out of a rabbit hutch. So it wasn't outwardly shocking when a dozen painfully cool people all of the same age group -- late 20s -- and outfitted in conspicuously tight and stylish clothing filed onto a bus this morning at Haye ... More >>

Taking the Bus: Muni Vehicles End Up in the Darndest Places

Fire Rips Through West Portal, Muni Shut Down (Update)

(Update 11:30 a.m.) Paul Rose, spokesman for Muni, tells us everything has cleared and Muni is back on track, literally. (Original story 7:47 a.m.): Firefighters are battling a four-alarm blaze in the city's West Portal neighborhood. The fire is blocking Muni from entering the West Portal Tunnel, ca ... More >>

Muni Crash on Market Wasn't Actually a Hit and Run, Officials Say

Earlier today, we read an amusing report about a Muni-on-Muni hit-and-run accident, where the bus driver purportedly crashed into a trolley car and fled the scene. If it seems a little hard to believe that a Muni driver would do this without getting caught, that's because it is. Muni officials confi ... More >>

Zazzle, City Prevent Transit Blog N-Judah Chronicles From Selling Muni Gear

It takes a Herculean effort of bad behavior to have oneself ejected from a Muni vehicle. But having your ability to create Muni paraphernalia ejected is easy -- disturbingly easy. Greg Dewar, the mastermind behind the N-Judah Chronicles transit blog -- and co-author, with your humble narrator, of th ... More >>

S.F. Unbeautifies Parking in the Richmond

As if parking in the city wasn't depressing enough, the San Francisco MTA had to go ahead and make it even more cheerless. Transportation officials have reportedly uprooted the only pleasant thing about parking in the Richmond when they removed the vibrant bushes that had been attached to meters alo ... More >>

Central Subway: North Beach Group Files Suit

The final day of July was a busy one for Muni's legal representatives. Not only did the Municipal Transportation Agency receive a demand letter from a lawyer hired by the North Beach Business Association, it was sued by another North Beach group. Save North Beach, formed and led by area man Marc Bru ... More >>

Central Subway: North Beach Merchants Lawyer Up, Fire Legal Salvo

In a possible precursor to a lawsuit directed at the controversial Central Subway project, the North Beach Business Association has hired a lawyer to fire off a "demand letter" to Muni. Attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley's brief note puts two options on the city's plate: A. Immediately cease the planned c ... More >>

Protesters Block Muni, Commuting Chaos Has Begun (Updated)

Update (5 p.m.): The much -anticipated rally is finally happening. About 15 demonstrators have gathered at the Third Street Muni stop where they are listening to music and rapping in between a few speeches. It seems rather tame from what we can tell. Paul Rose, spokesman for Muni, says all trains ar ... More >>

Central Subway: Opponents Claim Charter Violation Dooms Project

In a potentially game-changing allegation, foes of the controversial Central Subway project claim the city is violating its own charter by moving forward to construct a station at Union Square without putting the matter up for a vote. The language -- which could possibly derail the $1.6 billion subw ... More >>

Free Parking: ENUF Targets Proliferation of Parking Meters

Man Struck by Muni Trolley on Market Street

A  50-year-old man was taken to the hospital with minor injuries after he tried to board a moving Muni trolley along Market Street. Firefighters were called out to the intersection of Market and Seventh streets after the man reportedly tried to board the back of the F car as it was pulling away ... More >>

Yep, More Muni Delays This Morning

Yesterday wasn't a good day for Muni -- or anyone depending on it for a ride home. After a weeklong closure, the N-Judah was back on line yesterday morning, just long enough to break down due to a power outage. By late afternoon -- just in time for the evening commute -- another Muni fiasco struck d ... More >>

Man Who Lost Leg in Muni Accident Dies

UPDATE 2 p.m.: Paul Rose, spokesman with Muni, confirmed that the wheelchair-using victim of today's Muni accident has died. The medical examiner has not yet identified the man. UPDATE: 12:20 p.m.: Muni spokesman Paul Rose confirms that the victim is alive, has lost a leg, and is now at a hospital. ... More >>

Muni Town Hall: New Chief Meets, Confounds His Public

Muni Still Hasn't Confirmed Responsibility for Hit-and-Run Accident in SOMA

​A day after a cyclist collided with an elderly pedestrian in the Castro, Muni put out a heartfelt statement, sending its condolences to the victim. "The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) today joined the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) to issue the following statements ... More >>

Tom Otterness Killed Dog, Got City Contracts. What if He Killed People?

Did Muni give this guy money, too? ​It's almost impossible to stay rational when discussing the plight of dog-slaughtering artist Tom Otterness, who may or may not lose out on millions in city money due to his troubling past. That's because it's hard to conceive of a transgression that would provo ... More >>

Leland Yee Latest to Call for Free Muni -- It's For the Kids!

Jim HerdGuess what, kid? You get to wait for free, too. ​Public transit issues are complicated -- but they're not quantum physics complicated. Politicians really could improve San Franciscans' commutes and lives if they paid attention to straightforward concepts like transit-only lanes, prioritize ... More >>

SFMTA Finally to Offer Officially Branded Merch

Muni Malfuntion Snarls Trains in Tunnel

William PoorThis would have been faster. Much faster. ​And how's your Friday going? Slowly, if you're a purveyor of Muni. A malfunction with the system's signal loop -- which allows trains to enter automatic mode in the Metro Tunnel -- has led to snail-like trips in light-rail vehicles. Muni spoke ... More >>

Muni Overtime Spending "Out of Control"

A rainy day for Muni ​We woke up this morning to the news that Muni was spending a mind-boggling $18 million on overtime alone. But any story that uses the words "Muni" and "too much money" doesn't really throw us for a loop.Nor were we surprised to read the agency's response to the spending frenz ... More >>

Man Stops Muni in Its Tracks

Remember when those stranded Muni passengers grew so tired and hungry as they waited for a bus to arrive at Mission Rock that they started tossing rocks at the bus? We all get frustrated, even pissed at Muni -- but as you can see below, train delays are not always the transit agency's fault. Twitter ... More >>

Muni Delays Won't Affect Evening Commute

Back on track for tonight ​Here is a good way to start your weekend: No Muni delays. After nearly two hours of slow-moving service, Muni reports that all trains are running on time -- for now. At noon, there was a signal malfunction on trains running between South Van Ness and Church Street that c ... More >>

Muni Driver Cusses Out Passenger, Shuts Train Door on Him

supernivek/FlickrTell us how you really feel ... about Muni ​We all love to hate Muni. In fact, we spend more time lamenting the city's troubled transit agency than we do waiting for the next delayed train to arrive. And apparently this lack of love goes both ways. Police were called to the Muni s ... More >>

Muni Operator Busted Texting While Driving Bus

Crashes, doors flying open, drivers texting ... what's next?​Just the other day Muni made headlines after a train door randomly opened while the light rail flew through the Metro Tunnel. Already dubious about Muni safety, riders are now learning about a bus operator who was busted texting while be ... More >>

Teens Get Off Muni, Shoot Man in BayView

Brazen gunfire​An 18-year-old man was shot by a two teens as they got off of a Muni bus in the Baview District early Thursday morning in what police are calling an unusually brazen and disturbing shooting. Police told SF Weekly that the teens were riding the 44 bus when it came to a stop at Palou ... More >>

Muni Fare Evaders Are Responsible for Budget Crisis

Muni wants riders to pay their fair share​Today, the Examiner tells us about how Muni riders are still blatantly skipping out on paying their bus fare, which is costing the transit agency some $19 million in lost revenue. And to put that number into context, Muni's budget deficit this year is a st ... More >>

Muni: Driving Up the Cost of Riding Transit

I want my $2​Muni is kind of like that pesky paperboy in the movie Better Off Dead, who was relentlessly stalking Lane Meyer, demanding his $2. Muni alerted riders today that it, too, would be hitting up riders for another $2 starting this summer. So Fast Pass holders, brace yourselves. The "A" Fa ... More >>

Clipper Card Query: Will Failing to Tag Your Monthly Pass Get You Dinged?

Forget me not...​With paper Muni fast passes going the way of the whalebone corset come April 4, the beeps of accepted or rejected Clipper cards will grow ever more ubiquitous for train and bus passengers. Along with the cacophony, will a new, frustrating way to be dinged for fare evasion emerge? ... More >>

eHow Tells San Francisco 'How' to Get Out of a Parking Ticket

There is no getting out of this ... parking ticket ​While killing some time on the Internet, we recently came across a curious article from eHow.com, providing a step-by-step guide on how to outsmart San Francisco's well-trained meter maids.Anyone who has been on the receiving end of a San Francis ... More >>

Muni: Where Is the Money Going?

Next stop: Central Subway ​Anyone who relies on Muni to get around town is already intimately familiar with its drawbacks -- late trains and questionable mechanics. And then there's scary factor -- stabbings, robberies, and crashing buses -- we're not being melodramatic. So we ask: How much is the ... More >>

John Avalos Wants Central Subway Project to Hire Locals

Local hiring is still an option, not an obligation​Update: Paul Rose, spokesman with the MTA, returned our call just now and said that the agency would not delay the bidding process. He pointed out that any delays could result in the loss of federal funding. Original Story, 2 p.m.: Yesterday, The ... More >>

Richmond Blogger Proves Power of the Press

Believe it or not, more service​It's not often that Muni gets good press. So here it goes. As the Examiner reports today, Richmond resident Aaron Kitashima was sick and tired of the crappy and non existent bus service along 48th Avenue. So he did what every pissed off person does -- he complained ... More >>

Muni Employees Might Have to Pay to Park ... Just Like the Rest of Us

Parking Princess​Bitter transit riders who have been victims of service cuts and fare increases can take some comfort in knowing that Muni employees are now having to pay.As of now, Muni employees get free parking at any of the estimated 1,000 parking slots Muni owns. Yet in perpetually bad budget ... More >>

Nathaniel Ford to D.C. Metro Story No Surprise for Muni Insiders

Luke Thomas, Fog City JournalGavin Newsom and Nat Ford 'are not buds,' SF Weekly is told. This photo could be Exhibit A. ​The D.C. Metro Transit Authority's placing of San Francisco Muni boss Nathaniel Ford on its list of potential leaders did not surprise several of Ford's colleagues SF Weekly sp ... More >>

Muni's Fare Gate Problems are Unique to San Francisco

Michael RhodesMuni's new gates didn't cause problems elsewhere​Other American transit systems using fare gates essentially identical to Muni's have not been besieged by fare-hoppers able to outsmart the high-tech system with a wave of the hand, SF Weekly has learned. Muni has become the unwelcome ... More >>

Muni Accepts Gun Group's Poster Promoting Use of Firearms

http://onlygunsandmoney.blogspot.com ​Click on image for larger version​Last month, SF Weekly broke the story that Muni forced the guns to be edited out of the poster for The Other Guys -- as depicting Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell with handguns would violate the transit agency's policy agains ... More >>

'The Other Guys' Movie Poster -- With Guns -- on Muni Due to Snafu

This adheres to Muni rules...​Last week, SF Weekly noticed that the version of the movie poster for the Will Ferrell-Mark Wahlberg cop satire The Other Guys appearing in Muni stations had been disarmed. While the version plastered all over town features the male leads in faux-Hong Kong wire movie ... More >>

'The Other Guys' Movie Poster has No Guns in Muni Station -- But Fully Armed on Muni Buses

No guns here...​Last week, we noted that the movie posters for the predictably low-brow but high-grossing cop comedy The Other Guys had been disarmed by Muni. While Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are soaring through the air, guns drawn, in the billboard you'll see by the freeway, they're either pu ... More >>

Muni Mechanic Edmund King Busted, Charged in Transfer-Selling Sting

​The San Francisco Police Department today announced it netted Muni mechanic Edmund King in a sting operation targeting the theft of stolen and illegally resold late-night transfers. The July 15 sting culminated an operation initiated in March by the SFPD Muni task force; Along with King, who alle ... More >>